Former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s surprise entry into the New York City mayoral election has sent shockwaves through the political landscape, with polls already declaring him a front-runner.
Cuomo Jolts New York’s Mayoral Race as His Challengers Attack
A New Front-Runner Emerges
The race for mayor of New York City has burst into motion with the entrance of former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, who is now a front-runner in polls. Mr. Cuomo, 67, began his comeback campaign on Sunday in Lower Manhattan, reintroducing himself to fellow New Yorkers after three years in the political wilderness.
Challengers React
Mayor Eric Adams and seven fellow Democrats fanned out across the city to try to stop Mr. Cuomo’s momentum. The other candidates are already trying to capitalize on Mr. Cuomo’s return by attacking his policies and experience. In a statement, one of the challengers described Mr. Cuomo’s entrance as ‘a desperate attempt to cling to power.’
Cuomo’s Campaign
Mr. Cuomo presented himself to a crowd of family and loyal supporters as a battle-tested executive ready to reassert control over a city “in chaos” while keeping an eye toward the national stage. He vowed to rebuild the New York Police Department, move New Yorkers suffering from mental illness off the streets, and pursue policies that would accelerate the construction of new affordable housing.
Andrew Cuomo was born on December 6, 1957.
He is an American politician who served as the 56th Governor of New York from 2011 to 2021.
Before his gubernatorial tenure, he held various positions in government, including U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development from 1997 to 2001.
Andrew Cuomo earned a Bachelor's degree from Albany Law School and a Master's degree in public administration from the 'John F. Kennedy School of Government' at Harvard University.
Criticisms of Rivals
Mr. Cuomo wasted little time sharpening lines of attack accusing his rivals of adopting stances too far left on crime, homelessness, and Israel. ‘These politicians now running to be mayor made a terrible, terrible mistake,’ Mr. Cuomo said. “They uttered the three dumbest words ever uttered by a public official: cut police funding. It created a city in chaos.”
A Message for New York
Mr. Cuomo’s campaign is centered around his message of restoring order and stability to the city. He believes that New York must show the way forward and remind the nation who it is at its best. “At this time when the nation is searching for its soul, when it is divided as never before, when it’s questioning our democratic values, it’s questioning the very role of government, it’s questioning the balance of power,” Mr. Cuomo said.
